What happened in Indiana
by ss3saj
Summary: What could have happened if Josh and Donna had let their guards down in Indiana, post ep to ‘20 hours in America’
1. chapter 1

When Donna walked back into the bar she saw Josh and Toby sitting at a table talking to a guy she'd never seen before. As she got closer she could hear what they were discussing, money and putting kids through college. The thought of talking about anything to do with politics or money after spending the past half hour writing letters to families who'd lost their kids tonight, fried her brain.

'Hey, I need the key for the room' she said, as she got nearer to the table. Josh looked up at her as he reached into his pocket and took out the key card, before putting it back. He saw how exhausted she looked at that moment, her shoulders were a little slumped and her eyes were not as bright as they usually were. 'I'll come with you' he said, as he got out of his chair and drained the last of his beer. 'Matt, it was nice to talk to you' he said. Donna watched as Josh shook Matt's hand. 'You too Josh' Matt replied. Josh walked over to Donna as Toby said he'd join them in a few minutes, a hand on her back as they walked toward the elevators. 'Who was that?' She asked as turned to face him. 'His name's Matt Kelley. He's waiting for a flight out, he took his daughter to see Notre Dame today'. 'What did you talk to him about'? 'How he's gonna pay for her to go college after the market crashed today. He's worried he won't be able to afford to pay for tuition for her to go there'. 'That's a shame. If only it was a little easier for people' she said as he caught her eye. 'That's what he just said'. 'Maybe you should look into that' she said as they reached the elevator. He nodded as he looked over at her. Even in her exhaustion, Josh thought she still looked beautiful. Usually he could suppress these thoughts but right now, in this moment he couldn't even if he wanted to.

Donna pressed the button to call the elevator, watching Josh pace before pressing the button again. 'You know that pressing it once is fine, right?' she said, watching his finger hover over the button for the 2 time. 'I just wanted to make sure it was, you know, on its way' he said. He stared at the doors intently as he looked again at the button on the wall. 'Josh' Donna warned in the same tone she'd used earlier the day when he was on the phone with Sam. As he turned to look at her again the doors opened. 'Thank God' she said sarcastically as Josh huffed and entered the elevator. Donna pushed the button to the 7 floor and stood beside Josh. 'I'm sorry about today' Josh said as he turned to face her. 'Not your fault' she said, staring at the floor. 'You okay?' he asked, watching as she cupped the back of her neck trying to work out the tension. 'Yeah, just tired' she said, just as the elevator doors opened. He watched her as she walked away from him and just as the doors closed he realised he was still staring. He pressed the button to open the doors again and hurried toward the room. 'What're you waiting for?' Josh asked, noticing Donna was still standing outside. 'You have the key'. 'Oh' he said, before taking the key out of his pocket. He handed her the key with a shrug, 'you're better at this than I am' he said. 'Oh wow did you really just say I was better at something than you are?' Donna asked, grinning back at him before inserting the key card and watching the light on the door turn green. 'Shut up and get in there' he said, grinning back at her as she turned to walk into the room.

Donna put her tote bag on the bed and took off her shoes. 'I can't wait to get home' she said. 'I can't wait to be near a phone' he said, scrubbing his hands through his hair. 'You should enjoy the time without your cell phone'. 'Yeah that ship sailed when we got stuck in Indiana. Next time remember to pack a cell phone charger' he said. 'See many places where you could've plugged it in today, Joshua?' She said as he turned to face her, watching the realisation hit him. 'No' he said quietly, as he watched her walk over to the mirror. 'Uh I look awful' she said, rubbing her fingers underneath her eyes. The mascara she had been wearing that day now gathered in small clumps around the corners of her eyes. He watched her reflection in the mirror as she ran her fingers through her hair, stating out loud that she'd wished she had thought to bring a hair brush with her. Josh watched her fingers run through her hair, wondering what it would be like to be able to do that.'You look great' he said, just as she met his eye in the mirror she could see he was watching her from where he was sat on the bed.'Thanks' she said, feeling her cheeks flush at the thought of Josh thinking she looked 'great'. She looked up and found him still watching her, she'd caught him staring a little before but something seemed different this time. His dark eyes watching as she pretended not to notice him watching her. 'Do you mind if I put the TV on?' Josh asked to which Donna shook her head. The TV went straight into the story dominating the news cycle today, the pipe bombing. The live pictures of fire trucks and EMT's running between people were shown next to the reporters made Donna think back to when she saw the shooting on TV and knew she had to get to the hospital as soon as she possibly could. 'You know my friend Jenny, she went to Kennison State. I went to visit her a few times, it's a beautiful place ' Donna said, watching the reporter interviewing a member of the faculty. 'I didn't know she went there' Josh said, once again looking over at her. Jenny and Donna had been friends through high school and the only one from Wisconsin who also now lived on the east coast, making weekend visits to Washington from Pittsburgh where she'd met Josh on several occasions. 'When do we need to leave for the flight'? Josh asked, watching intently as Donna moved away from the mirror and moved toward the bed. 'In about an hour' she said, picking up her bag and moving it to the floor so she could sit at the end of the bed that Josh was currently lounging on. He flipped between keeping up to date with the news and watching Donna. Since he and Amy had ended their relationship, he and Donna had spent more time together. He'd missed meeting Donna on Sundays for brunch and getting coffee with her when he couldn't focus properly in the evenings when Leo or the president needed 20 things done all at the same time. He was glad that time was back again.

'You think it's foreign terrorism' she asked, breaking his train of thought. 'Probably domestic' he replied. He watched her nod from behind, before she reached up to rub her neck again. 'Your neck bothering you?' Josh asked. 'A little' she replied. 'Come here, I can try and work out the knots'. 'It's fine, honestly. I'm just in need of a long hot bath'. As soon as the words were out, Josh was finding it hard to concentrate on anything other than wanting to share that bath with her. 'Donna. Come here' he says as she turns to face him. She looks at him for a moment, she knows it's probably not the best idea but she can't think of a good enough reason not to let him do this. Not after the day they'd had. She moved up toward him and as soon as his hands start to massage her neck, the tension she's had there since she saw the motorcade driving away starts to starts to dissipate.

He feels the tension slipping away, his hands working every knot. Josh's thoughts go back to five minutes ago when he wanted to run his fingers through her hair, and now she's sitting in front of him. Her golden locks inviting him in. He contemplates it for a second before he realises his hands have a mind of their own and they're massaging her head. Donna let's out a little sigh, spurring Josh on as he moves his hands up further. The sigh she let out was completely unprecedented but she hadn't expected it to feel this good. He really did have magic fingers. As he worked out the tension, Donna felt as if her body was alight. Every time his hands moved, a shiver would travel right through her. He could feel it as he massaged her neck, before moving his hands over her collarbone. Without warning Donna let her head relax and came to rest on Josh's chest. Deep down Donna knew that she should tell him to stop but she couldn't. She couldn't get the words out. It felt too good to ask him to stop. In that moment she wanted him to kiss her. She actively tried to forget about that thought on a daily basis but right here, right now she couldn't think of a good enough reason for him not to kiss her. He must be feeling the same, she thought.

He was. In fact he hadn't stopped thinking about since his hands met her body. It was taking all of his resolve not to turn her to face him and kiss her senseless, and with every touch it was getting harder not to. He tried not to think about the lecture both the president and Leo would give him. He tried not to think about CJ yelling at him. Then he tried not to think about Donna in a bathtub. He looked down at Donna, whose head was still against his chest, and before he even knew what he was doing his lips met her collarbone. Her skin was warm against his lips as he felt her let out a low pitched moan. That brought him out of his trance, his hands stopped moving and Donna jolted her head back upright.

As soon as she felt his lips on her collarbone she was done. Her skin was feverish under his lips, completely due to the way his hands had felt. She felt his hands stop massaging as she quickly moved back to the position she was in. 'Donna' he said quietly, in a tone she hadn't heard him use in a while. His fingers ran through her hair as she turned to him. She stared into his eyes, dark and intense with passion as he ran his hand over her cheek. She followed his movements as he lowered his head to hers. She was nervous, so was he but in that moment it didn't matter. They both wanted the same thing. His eyes watched hers as she flicked her eyes to his mouth and then back to his eyes. As Josh lowered his lips to hers he wanted to savour that final second of how they would be. Before they changed their relationship. He took one final glance and then pressed his lips to hers. Donna, even though she was expecting it, was still a little taken aback. He held her chin as she moved her lips over his. The small sound of a gasp as he deepened the kiss was enough to make Josh want to pick her up and sit her on his lap, take off her clothes and make love to her. And that's when he heard it. The sound the hotel room door makes when it's being opened, the quiet 'click' that brings Josh back to reality. He pulls away, feeling bereft already.

Donna couldn't believe what was happening, Josh was kissing her. After all they'd been through since they'd met, he was kissing her now in a hotel room in Indiana after the most crazy of days. She felt his hands on his face as he deepened the kiss, she could feel the warmth of his fingers on her chin. And then it was over. She hadn't heard the door being opened, looking up at Josh in confusion. She watched as he mouthed 'Toby'. 'Hey' she heard Toby say as walked into the room. Donna moved a little further down the bed, trying to put a little more distance between them. Toby walked past the small bathroom on the right and found Josh and Donna sitting on the bed. He looked between them, something was up. 'You guys ok?' Toby asked, watching as Donna turned to him. She looked like a kid who'd been caught with her hand in a cookie jar. Josh had a similar look to him, his eyes wide and bright. 'Yeah. We thought we'd leave in an hour' Donna said, getting off the bed and grabbing her tote bag off the floor. 'Yeah' Toby said. 'I'm gonna take a quick shower' she said, taking a towel from the closet and quickly making her way to the bathroom. Josh watching her as she made her way across the room, before she closed the bathroom door. Josh knew it was coming, but he needed more time to process what had just happened before he answered any of Toby's questions. 'Sure you two are okay?' Toby asked as he watched Josh get up from the bed and walk over to the desk in the corner of the room. 'Yeah Toby, everything's fine. I'm gonna go across the street to the ATM, give Donna some privacy when she's finished in the shower'. 'Good idea, I'll come too' he says. Josh leaves a note for Donna telling her where they've gone before they make their way out. He takes a long look at the bathroom door, thinking of what might've happened if Toby hadn't comeback, before following Toby out of the room. Closing the door with a loud thud behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as she shut the bathroom door, Donna leaned back against it contemplating what had just happened. She rubbed her hand over her face before smacking her palm to her forehead. 'You're an idiot' she said, out loud to no one but herself. Then she thought about Josh and the way he had been looking at her all night. Why he chose tonight to kiss she didn't know, but she knew she had wanted him to. Turning on the shower she then wondered, what would happen next. Something she knew for certain though was that they definitely needed to talk about it.

As Donna got out of the shower she noticed how quiet it was. She put her ear up to the bathroom door but couldn't hear the guys. Quickly getting dressed, she made her way out of the bathroom and back into the room. No sigh of Toby or Josh, as she sat on the bed she found a note from Josh. 'Gone to ATM. Be back soon. Josh'. Donna let out a sigh of relief. She'd listened to them bicker all day, she was thankful for the silence. She also needed time to think about what had happened tonight. She laid back on the bed and closed her eyes, remembering how his hands felt on her shoulders and his lips on hers. Donna put her hand to her cheek, feeling them flush at the memory of Josh kissing her.

'You done?' Toby asked, as Josh was taking his cash from the ATM. He had seen a CVS on their way out of the hotel. 'I'm gonna go get a bottle of water' Josh replied, pointing in the direction of the CVS. 'Quickly though right? Coz I'm pretty sure if we miss this flight Donna will kill us'. 'She probably would' he said as they walked into the CVS. He grabbed a few bottles of water and a bag of chips for Donna. 'You and Donna okay? I thought before, maybe...' Toby said, watching as Josh purposely paid more attention to looking at the different types of gum that were on the shelf. 'Yeah we're fine' Josh said, almost as if on autopilot. Toby wasn't convinced, something was up.

20 minutes by herself should have been really good. It should have been a time to be enjoyed after the day she'd had. Instead Donna spent it thinking about what would happen next. She hoped it wouldn't be brushed aside, she hoped they could talk about what it meant but she didn't like the thought of having to possibly leave a job she loved. The silence of the room was broken when she heard the door being opened. She looked up to see Toby walking through the door, eating a muffin. 'Hey, where's Josh?' 'He's downstairs on the phone to a cab company' he replied as he sat down at the desk. Toby watched as Donna straightened up the bed and got the few things she had together before they had to leave. 'Donna, you okay?' Toby asked. 'Yeah I'm fine, why?' 'Earlier you were kinda pissed at us'. 'Yes, I was'. 'I just wanted check, I got the feeling I walked in on something earlier' he said, watching as Donna's eyes widened. 'No' she said, quickly. 'Don't be pissed at him, he was pissed at me and we took it out on each other. I'm sorry you were caught up in it' Toby said. Donna knew this was genuine coming from Toby. 'I'm not pissed at him. It's just been a really long day. Did he say something to you?' She asked, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. She would be surprised if he had. 'No' he replied, shaking his head.

Of course he didn't say anything, she thought to herself. He wouldn't say anything to anyone right now she suspects, even if Leo or Sam were here. In that moment Donna wished she could talk to someone about what had happened. Someone who didn't work with them. As Donna walked past Toby she heard the door opening. She felt her heart pounding as she looked up and locked eyes with Josh. His dark eyes burning into hers. She could feel herself take an involuntary sharp breath as she felt him look at her with such intensity. 'Hi' he said, almost tripping over that one word. 'Hi' she replied. 'I uh I got you a banana muffin' he said, breaking eye contact for a moment as he held the bag out toward her. 'And a bottle of water, a bag of Cheetos and some gum' he added watching as she smiled at the banana muffin. They're her favourite kind and he knew that. He knew most things she liked, including the Cheetos and the brand of gum. As she looked up from the bag she caught his eye as he smiled at her. 'Thank you' she said. 'No problem' he replied, watching as she took the muffin out of the cellophane. He watched her take a bite before looking away, the last thing she'd want was someone staring at her while she ate. He looked away, finding Toby watching their exchange. Something was different, Toby knew it.


	3. Chapter 3

'So we fly to Chicago, an hour and a half lay over then a direct flight to national'? Josh asked, for the second time. 'Yes' Donna replied from the front of the cab. 'Why are you asking again? She told you like ten minutes ago' Toby asked. 'I was just checking' Josh replied. What Josh didn't tell him was that while Donna was talking he had zoned out, remembering again how soft her lips were and how his heart had wanted to burst out of his chest when she smiled at him when he gave her a muffin. These feelings were not new, Josh had always found her sweet but there was something else now. He had kissed her, he hadn't planned on doing that today. It had crossed his mind a few times in the past before pushing it to the very back of his mind. Now it was at the forefront and it was all he could think about.

She knew he was staring at her, she could feel it. If she turned around she wouldn't be able to look away. Donna knew that would certainly arouse Toby's already suspicious mind. She looked out of the window as the cab drove through the torrential rain, trying not to think about Josh.

As they got out of the cab the rain was easing off, which meant their flight was almost certainly going to leave on time. 'I can't wait to get home' Donna announced as they walked into the airport. Toby nodded as he walked towards the tv screen looking for their flight, leaving Josh and Donna alone for the first time since they had shared a kiss. 'Hey, how you doing?'Josh said as he touched her arm and she turned toward him. 'Good' she replied. 'Can we talk? About earlier'Josh asked. 'Here? I don't think this is the best place, Josh' she said, looking over at Toby who was still staring at the screen. 'Ok then when?'he asked, meeting her eyes again. 'When Toby isn't here'. 'When we get home?' Josh asks, watching her nod. She's surprised he's pushing this, Donna would've bet money on Josh avoiding this like he usually would. 'Our flight looks like it's taking off on time, the check in desk is over there' Toby says, pointing right before walking in that direction. Josh looks at Donna as they follow Toby.

'Looks like we have two seats together and one across the aisle' Toby says as he hands the tickets to Josh and Donna. 'Great' Donna says but in reality she could do with a seat on her own, Toby was likely to want the single seat. Having Josh in close proximity was disconcerting, she didn't know where she stood and she hated that. 'Donna why don't you take the aisle seat' she hears Toby say, holding out his hand to swap their tickets. 'Are you sure?' Donna says, looking at Josh who was now staring back at her. 'Yes. Take it or leave it'. 'I'll take it' Donna says as they swap tickets. 'Should I be offended? I feel like you're drawing straws on who gets to sit next to me' Josh says, mouth agape as he looks between them. 'Well yeah' Toby says before heading off in the direction of the men's room.

Donna sat in the chair in the departure lounge as Josh paced in front of her. 'Josh, sit down'. 'Why?' 'Coz you're making my eyes hurt. Sit down'. 'Next to you or across from you?' 'You can't seriously be offended by my not wanting to sit next to you on the plane? Would you feel better if I did?' She asked as he stopped pacing and stood in front of her. She looked up at him as he stared back. 'Why don't you want to sit next to me?' She sighed before saying, 'because I need time to think and I can't do that when you're sitting right next to me' she said quietly. 'I don't regret it you know, kissing you. I just wanted to say that now coz I don't know what'll happen when we get home. The campaign schedule is crazy and we go back on the road again tomorrow to Boston for the 'rock the vote'. I have a million and one things on my desk and I don't have time for a life outside of work right now' he says, trying to not to look at her as he sits down next to her, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. She swears she can hear a sadness in his voice. She gets it, more than he thinks she does. 'So we just forget about it?' she says as she finally catches his eye. He wants to say 'no, let me take you out to dinner' but he can't. She's holding his gaze and he wants to kiss her again. Feel her lips against his like he'd done earlier today. Run his fingers through her hair and then touch her cheek. He nods, unable to form a sentence. 'I don't want this to change our working relationship' she says, her business like tone makes Josh sit upright. 'Me either' he says. 'Then we won't' she says. A moment later their flight is called and they get in line to board the plane. She sees Toby walking briskly to meet them and breathes a sigh of relief as she remembers they'll be home in a few hours.


	4. Chapter 4

5:30AM

It's just after 5:30 AM when they walk into the White House. As soon as they walked into the west wing Toby made his way to his office, leaving Josh and Donna alone in the bullpen. 'We can just do messages and then you can go home for a few hours' Josh said, as he tried to unlock his office door. He took the key out, rubbed it with the sleeve of his shirt and then tried again. 'Do you want me to try?' Donna asked, trying to not to sound like she was mocking him. 'No I got it' he said as he tried the key again, grinning widely as the door unlocked. Donna went straight for his desk drawer and took out two cell phone battery chargers. As Josh hit 'play' on the machine he handed over his cell phone to Donna, seemingly falling back into the routine they had always had.

The first 8 messages are all work related, senators aides calling Donna to try making appointments. As she's making notes, Josh is looking through emails on his laptop when they hear a familiar voice. 'Donna it's Ruth uh Lyman. I thought you'd be back by now, Joshua told me you were all going out to Indiana. Just calling to see how it went. Can you get him to call me please. Hope you're well sweetheart, talk to you soon' she said before ending the message. Donna looks over at Josh who is staring at the machine. 'I love how your mom thinks I wouldn't know it was her unless she says her last name, like I could forget what she sounds like' Donna says as she turns to face Josh who smiles back at the thought of Donna ever forgetting his mother's voice. 'You better call her. She'll be worried' Donna says. 'Yeah' he says as he picks up the phone to dial. 'Josh it's 5:30 in the morning'. 'She'll be up' he says as Donna nods. Donna gets up to leave when Josh asks where she's going. 'I'll leave you talk to your mom. I'll be out here'. Josh watches as she walks out of the room and closes the door, still staring at the door before he dials his mother's number.

As she closes the door she leans back against it, exhaling as she then takes off her shoes. She picks up her shoes and makes her way over to her desk, looking at all the work she hadn't done and the list of groceries she hadn't been able to get. 'God knows what I'll eat when I get home' she says out loud to no one but herself as she leans back in her chair and closes her eyes.

'Hi Mom' josh says into the phone. 'Are you back? Sam told me you were left behind by the motorcade' his mother said, obviously worried. 'Yes we were but now we're back' he confirmed over the phone. 'I was a little worried because I can usually reach Donna and if not she'll call back within an hour. So when I didn't hear from her I called Sam and he said Toby and Donna were there too so I knew she'd make sure you got home in one piece' she said to which Josh laughed before he agreed with his Mom. 'I hope you appreciate all she does for you, Joshua' Josh thought about what his Mom said for a moment before telling her 'I do, Mom'. 'Good, she's good to you. Don't upset her'. 'I won't, Mom' he said.

As Josh ended the call with his mother he heard a knock on the door. 'Come in' he yelled back as Leo walked in. 'Hey, good to see you back' Leo said as he walked around to where Josh was sitting. 'Good to be back' he said. 'You should go home. Take a few hours and go get some rest'. 'I'll be fine' he says, waving Leo's suggestion off. 'It's not optional, Josh. The next 3 months are going to be non stop and I need you at the top of your game' Leo says, staring down at Josh. He knows better than to mess with Leo on this and gets up from his desk, picking up his jacket from the back of the chair. 'Oh and take Donna with you. Poor girl's had you and Toby to deal with for the past 20 hours. She's asleep in the bullpen' he says as he walks out. Josh hot on his heels as he takes in the sight in front of him. 'See! Take her home would you, please' Leo says one last time before he disappears through the double doors.

Josh walks over to Donna, her shoes are off and her hair has fallen over her face. He has to drag his eyes away, after what had happened earlier he didn't want to take any chances. She looked beautiful even now, almost 6 AM and asleep in a chair. He reached out and touched her shoulder lightly. 'Donna, come on let's go' he said softly. 'What time is it?' Donna asks. 'It's almost 6. Come on, let's go home' he says as she gets up out of the chair. Donna stands in front of him as he looks at her, a few inches of distance between but she can see that look. The look he had before he kissed her. She needs to stop it from happening again, no matter how much she wants it, so she takes a small step back as Josh looks down at his watch. 'Wanna share a cab?' Josh asks. 'Sure'.

'Did you call your Mom'? 'I did. She talked to Sam so she knew where we were'. 'That's good' Donna said as she put her shoes back on and grabbed her jacket. Josh took her bag and they walked out of the office. They walked out of the front gates and Josh hailed a cab. He looks over at her as the cab drives their way and she starts to question the decision to share a cab. She's wondering if it could happen again and if she wants it to happen again. Josh is watching her, he knows she's nervous he can tell by her face. 'Donna, it's fine. Come on' he says as they walk over to the cab. He opens the door and she gets in before he follows her to sit in the back. 'It's not going to happen again' he says after giving their addresses to the cab driver. 'I know that' she says as she looks out of the window. She hadn't thought about how she'd feel never kissing him again. Her feelings for him had always been there, getting stronger over time but now that they'd crossed a line into different territory, she had to come to terms with having to get over him. That made her sad, but she knew she had to do it. She looked over at Josh who was looking out of the window, wondering if he felt the same.

A/N thank you to those who have reviewed etc. It means a lot. I know it's a little slow but I'm hoping it'll all come together the way I want it to.


	5. Chapter 5

The last thing he wanted was for this to be awkward, she was one of the most trustworthy people in his life and Josh wanted to keep it that way. He kept his eyes firmly on what was going on outside. He knew if he looked at her right now, contrary to what he had said to her as they got in the cab it would happen again. 'I like this time of day. The suns just coming up and it's a brand new day. Before the politics start' the cab driver says. 'When does the politics stop' Josh thinks to himself, watching as the they drive past the Capitol building.

Donna looked over at Josh again as he looked out of the window. She didn't want this to be a 'thing' but she could feel it might turn into that. 'What time shall I come in later?' Donna asks, desperate to fill the silence. 'Twelve. Unless you need more time?' Josh replied, looking at her for the first time since they got in. 'No that's good' she said, watching his dark eyes watch her. She could watch him all day. 'God this is hard' she thought to herself. It was fine when she didn't know how it felt to kiss him, to have her hand on his cheek or how his hands felt in her hair but now things were different. He looked down at the seat, tapping his fingers against the seat before slowly looking up ahead out of the drivers window. He saw the familiar brownstones up ahead, they were almost at Donna's apartment. He knew he had roughly 3 minutes before the cab would stop and she would get out. He had 3 minutes to not kiss her. Those few minutes were easier when he didn't know any better, when he didn't know how it felt to have her in his arms. 'It's just up here on the left' she said to the driver. Josh felt the car slow down before the driver pulled over to the right. 'Here' Donna said as she pulled out a ten dollar bill. 'No It's on me, seriously this is the least that I can do after yesterday' Josh said, waving away her money. Donna nodded before opening the door. 'I'll see you later' she said as she got out. 'Yeah. See you later' he called before she closed the door.

He watched as she walked up the steps before opening the doors to her building, before exhaling loudly. He had to get to Election Day, once that was done and if they got the result they wanted maybe he could speak to Leo. Leo would not want her working for him directly but maybe they could work something out. Six weeks. He had to wait 6 weeks. He rubbed his eyes and lay his head back on the headrest. This would be a tough six weeks.

When Josh walked into his apartment he picked up the newspaper before collapsing on the couch. 'What a day' he said to himself as he looked around at his empty place. He thought it must be nice coming home to someone, when he was with Amy it was nice when she was here but it would almost always end up in some sort of argument. He looked around at the photos his mom had framed and had given him when he was recovering. Some of his father but mostly they were photos C.J. had taken at inauguration and on the campaign. He and Sam playing poker in one, he and Donna at a bar in Manchester in another. She was entwined in his life so much that if this went wrong he had no idea what he'd do. His mother loved her and even though she knew better than to push him on the subject, Josh knew she wanted he and Donna to be more. He had six weeks to get it together, once he got the president a second term he'd talk to Leo. He had to, that kiss had unravelled him and he wanted more. He had to get his mind off her for a while as he picked up the paper, quickly flicking through pages before he came across an article about bonuses and his conversation with Matt last night was replaying in his head. 'Putting your daughter through college, that's a man's job. A man's accomplishment but it should be easier, just a little easier'. He then thought back to how Donna suggested to him he look into making it easier and he smiled to himself. He and Toby could accomplish this, he planned on showing Toby as soon as he possibly could as he started to work out how much it could cost. Sleep could wait.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

As Josh left Toby's office he was excited, pumped even! They could make college tuition more affordable, he just needed to figure out how to finance it. 'Hello' he heard as he turned to see Donna walking towards him. 'Hey' he replied. She looked amazing, he had no idea how given that she wouldn't have gone to bed until a few hours ago. He begun to tell her about the article he'd read but then he looked at her again, she deserved to know why he was doing this. It was because of his conversation with matt and the little prompt from Donna to help more people.

When Donna walked into the office she was ready. Ready to start the first day of getting over Josh. She would carry on as if nothing had happened and like she didn't want anything else to happen. She'd talked herself into this and she definitely wasn't going to be swayed. She walked down the hallway and before she could prepare herself, he was there. She took a breath before saying 'hello'. God she hadn't meant for that to be so...sultry. When he looked at her she tried to calm her nerves, the feelings wouldn't go away overnight but as they talked about the 'rock the vote' event she felt like things between them could just carry on without any weirdness.

They'd been sat by the bar in Boston when Josh suddenly got up and walked into the crowd of people listening to Aimee Mann. Donna followed him with her eyes before realising that he'd spotted Amy Gardner in the crowd. 'Nothing changes' she said to herself before drinking the rest of her beer. She was left behind while Josh went off chasing Amy. 'Hey I'm going to the bar, want another one of those?' Carol asked as she approached the table. 'Sure' Donna said, knowing she shouldn't have anymore as their flight home was in a couple of hours. Even though it was over between Amy and Josh, there was still that possibility that it could start up again at any point and Donna didn't think she could cope with that again. It was hard last time but she felt she'd covered herself well. Now that they'd shared a kiss and were trying to move on, having Amy back on a more permanent basis meant that she'd have to cover herself even more. She looked out at the crowd, spotting his crazy hair from afar to see he and Amy were talking. She knew he wasn't lying when he said he was busy, too busy for a relationship but she hoped that if he did have more time it wouldn't be Amy he'd look for. God, Donna thought 'I really need to get over him' as she looked around all the guys here either worked on the campaign or were 19. She needed to meet someone new, someone she could have a relationship with. As she spotted Carol on her way back from the bar she was determined to meet someone to take her mind off of Josh Lyman, maybe not here in a room full of college kids but back in D.C would be a good place to start.

He didn't want to look at Donna differently but he was. He had always thought she was beautiful but now he knew what it felt like to kiss her he had to work extra hard to not think about her. He had to walk away from her in the bar in Boston. He had needed to talk to Amy but he had to walk away coz her football knowledge astounded him and she made a lot sense when he thought about it. He walked away because he knew he'd end up kissing her again. In the middle of the bar in front of everyone.

As he and Sam boarded the plane home he saw Donna up ahead with Carol just about to take their seats. 'I need to talk to Donna' Josh said as Sam placed his bag in the overhead locker. 'Okay' he replied as he took the seat next to Toby.

Josh walked up to where Dona and Carol were standing as they started to put their backpacks into the lockers. 'Hey' he said, a little nervous. 'Hey' she replied, not looking at him as she struggled to close the locker. 'You're sitting next to me' he said. 'I know. I booked the seats' she said as she pushed the locker closed. 'I didn't know if you'd still want me to sit with you' he said quietly with trepidation. She turned to look at him before nodding and getting into the seat nearest the window. Carol was in the opposite aisle seat with C.J. Josh looked over to see they were looking through the airline magazine before he sat down next to Donna. 'I'm sorry I left pretty rapidly earlier' he said as she stared out of the window. 'It's fine' she said not turning around. 'I had to talk to Amy about Stackhouse ' he said as she finally turned to catch his eye. 'It's fine. Really'. He knew it hadn't been 'fine' but Donna would never want to admit it. 'You know that it's over between Amy and I? I'm not looking to get back with her' Josh asked, catching her eye. 'Yeah' she said as she buckled her seatbelt. Josh followed her lead and bucked his seatbelt. 'I just wanted you know that. In case you thought that's why I went to talk to her' he said. 'I didn't think that you were' Donna said, shaking her head. 'Good' he replied, exhaling loudly.

He lay his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes before remembering what he had wanted to tell Donna. 'Hey so we're trying to help out parents with college tuition' he said before taking the article out of his pocket and having it to Donna. He watched her as she read it quickly before looking up at him. 'That's amazing' she said with a huge smile on her face. 'Coz of Matt Kelley?' Donna asked. 'Partly, but also because of you'. 'Me? What did I do?' Donna asked. 'You said I should work on making things a little easier for people who work hard to provide for their families' he said, never taking his eyes off her. 'So I'm going to try' he added. She looked up at him, staring into his eyes before looking away. 'I'm glad that you took my advice' she said, fussing with the magazines in front. 'It was good advice' he replied. They watched as the flight attendants showed them the safety procedure before announcing they were ready to depart. Josh looked over at Donna as she stared out of the window, once the election was over he would talk to her but until then he had to stay focused. Easier said than done.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 _A week later_

'Donna!' Josh yelled as he walked into the bullpen. She wasn't at her desk as he walked past but he saw her coat on the stand so he knew she hadn't left. 'In here' he heard her yell back from inside his office. 'Hey. I wasn't sure if you'd still be here' he said as he walked in. It was Monday and Josh had been so busy he had barely seen her today. 'The president wants the staff to get together this weekend for debate prep. It's Thursday through to Saturday in North Carolina, want to come? It'll probably be fun' he says. 'I can't' she replies as she files away the various papers that are in her hand. 'You can't?' 'No, Jenny and I are going to see Ryan Adams on Friday' Donna said, turning around to look him in he eye. 'That's this week?' 'Yeah. It's on the calendar' she replied, pointing to the calendar on his desk which she'd marked 'Ryan Adams' months ago when she got the tickets. 'I forgot' he replied, suddenly feeling a little upset at Donna not coming along with them. 'You said it would be ok when I booked it' she said, trying not to get pissed off that he forgot she wouldn't be here. 'It's fine, I just forgot is all. Can you clear my schedule please' he asked as he watched her nod. He watched as she moved around his office, he couldn't help it. He was trying but his eyes just seem to follow her.

She knew he was watching her, she didn't mind but Donna knew if she stepped closer and stared back they'd be on his desk within minutes. So she carried on with what she was doing. 'You need this?' Donna asked, holding up a red binder and facing the filing cabinet. 'Yeah' he said as he moved closer to take it from her. She turned to face him, holding out the binder as she leant back against the cabinet. She looked up as he took it out of her hand, her hand brushed against his and she felt it. That feeling she'd felt when he rubbed her shoulders in Indiana, that little bolt of electricity as their fingers met. She felt her pulse quicken before he stepped away from her, binder in hand as he swallowed hard. Being near him was difficult enough without knowing what it felt like to kiss him so she moved quickly toward the door. She said goodnight quickly as she got her coat and bag before leaving for the night. Josh sat in his chair, flicking through the binder before throwing it down on the desk. They'd said this wouldn't change their working relationship but now the only thing Josh wanted to do was change it. He ran his hands through his hair before leaning back in his chair. 'Five weeks' he said out loud to himself.

'Josh kissed me' Donna said as she sat on the bar stool across from her friend. 'No!' Jenny gasped, staring wide eyed back at Donna. Donna nodded as she stirred her cocktail with the straw. 'When? Where?' Jenny asked. 'In Indiana! When we got left behind by the motorcade. In the hotel room' she said to her friend who was still sat there with her mouth wide open. 'I can't believe he finally did it!' Jenny replied, shaking her head. 'What do you mean?' 'Donna come on, I've seen how he looks at you. I'm guessing that he's probably thought about it'. Donna shook her head as she watched her friend nod in response. 'So what happens now?' Jenny asked. Donna looked down at her drink, mixing it again with her straw. 'Nothing. We decided it's probably best to just stay as we are. He's still my boss and I don't want to leave my job right now' she said, before taking a large sip of her mojito. Jenny stared back at her friend, a little sad at what she was hearing. 'Are you sure that's what you want?' Jenny asked. 'It's for the best. It was a...mistake'. 'Donna, I know that I don't know Josh all that well but I'm guessing he doesn't kiss people he doesn't want to kiss so I doubt it's a mistake. And I know for a fact that you don't' Jenny says, watching as Donna avoids her gaze. 'He's my boss'. 'That could change if you both want it to' Jenny replied. She was concerned for Donna, even if she wouldn't admit it Jenny knew Donna wanted more with Josh. Whether that happened now or in another four years time was up to them. 'Well this is what we decided so...' Donna replied, not entirely sure how to respond without giving away the depth of her feelings for Josh. Jenny watched Donna finish her drink in one large sip. 'Come on, we don't want to be late' she said as she sipped off the bar stool and waited for Jenny to finish her marguerita.

It was gone midnight when Donna and Jenny got home from the concert, Jenny was staying overnight with Donna. 'Thanks for getting the tickets! That was amazing' Jenny said, as she took off her heels. 'It was. It was exactly what I needed after this week, we've been so busy'. 'I'll bet' Jenny said as they both sat on the couch. 'So back to you kissing Josh' Jenny said as Donna sighed loudly as she got up to go into the kitchen. 'You know you can get another job. You could be with him'. 'He doesn't have time for a relationship. I watched the last one crash and burn and that can't be us'. 'You guys could be different, you'd make time'. 'The next month is gonna be non stop. He doesn't have time to make it work'. Jenny nodded as she listened to the reasons why it couldn't work. 'Maybe after the election?' Jenny asked. 'God I wish I'd never told you. I'm trying to forget that it happened' Donna said as she made coffee for them both. 'Ok I'll stop talking about it, I need to know one thing though' Jenny said as she got up from the couch. 'What?' Donna asked. 'Was it good?' Jenny asked, grinning back at Donna. Donna smiled back at the memory before nodding, 'amazing'.

When her cell phone rang at 1 AM she didn't need to look at the caller ID. Jenny was on the pull out couch in the other room. She looked at her phone for a moment before answering. 'Hi' she said. 'Hi is it too late, I thought you'd still be up after the concert'. 'I wasn't asleep it's ok'. 'How was the concert?' 'It was good. How's it going there?' She asked. 'Ok, we're getting a lot done'. She could hear Josh sigh a little. 'Andy's pregnant with twins. And Toby's the father' he said. 'Wow. I didn't even know they were back together'. 'They're aren't but he wants to be' Josh replied. 'Hopefully they'll work it out' Donna said as she got into bed. 'Are you in bed?' 'Yeah just got in'. He tried to get the image of her in bed out of his head. 'I wish you were here' he said, almost without realising. Donna closed her eyes and lay back against her headboard. 'You still there?' Josh asked, not expecting the silence. 'Yeah' she replied. 'I thought I'd lost you for a second' he said. She could feel his trepidation through the phone. 'I'm still here'. 'I meant what I said'. 'I know you did, Josh. I just wish things were different' she said. She wasn't sure where she'd found her confidence, maybe it was her conversation with Jenny or the 6 cocktails but she felt like they needed to clear the air. 'I know. Me too' he said as he he pinched the bridge of his nose. 'It's harder than I thought it would be' she said. He closed his eyes, she was right. This was harder than they thought it would be. Every time he saw her he relived that moment in Indiana. He hadn't wanted to talk to her about his plan to talk to Leo yet but he felt like he needed to. 'Can we talk after the election, I mean really talk about this. I just need to do this now, I know you understand how important this is' he said, she could feel how heavy this was weighing on him. 'I do' she said, the hope in her voice evident. 'Good. I'll let you sleep now. I just wanted to tell you about Andy'. 'I'm glad you called. I'll talk to you tomorrow'. 'Yeah good night, Donna'. 'Goodnight' she said before ending the call. Smiling to herself as she turned off the lamp.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Sam was right, 'there would be a lot of drinking on the plane' Donna thought to herself. As she boarded Air Force one Donna was immediately handed a glass of champagne by C.J. before she rushed off to get everyone glasses before the plane took off. She watched as Josh was handed a glass, laughing at C.J's need to be the hostess. He'd said they should talk after the election which was now a couple of weeks away and so far they'd managed to keep their feelings at bay. She wasn't sure how that conversation was going to go but it was long overdue, whatever the outcome.

Josh was on a high after the president won the debate and he wanted to celebrate with his friends. One in particular. He spotted Donna from the other side of the room and started to make his way over to her. He watched as she found her seat, the one she liked to sit on Air Force one. He slid into the seat next to her.

'Hey' Josh said as she looked over at him.

'Hey. So Charlie asked me earlier if I remembered the tie you were wearing on the night of the last debate' Donna replied.

'And did you?' Josh asked, watching her intently as she pushed her hair behind her ear.

'No. It obviously made an impact on the president though' she remarked, grinning back at him.

'Yeah so much so that the First Lady cut this one off with scissors' he said, laughing at the memory. He looked over at her as she looked moved her champagne flute around.

She was trying to not look at him, staring instead at the little bubbles in her glass. She felt him lean forward, trying to catch her eye.

'Donna, I meant what I said last week. We'll talk after Election Day' he whispered to her watching as her lips turned upwards.

'That would be good' she replied, finally taking her eyes away from her champagne and looking at Josh. His dark eyes shining back at her, they had this effect on her. Like all he had to do was stare at her and she'd succumb to his demands. It scared her a little, it always did but recently it scared her more than she cared to admit.

As Toby made his way through the cabin with Andy he spotted Josh and Donna sitting next to one another. He watched as Josh spoke and Donna listened, intruding on what seemed to be an intimate moment. Andy looked over at Toby as he watched them, following his eyes to the other side of the room at the pair.

'Toby?' Andy questioned quietly.

'Yeah' he replied as he took his seat, depositing the glass of champagne down on the side.

'What're you thinking?' Andy asked. This time Toby met her eyes.

'Nothing' he said before asking Andy to sit next to him and make sure she was safely in her seat.

'That look ain't nothing' she said, taking a sip out of her bottle of water and watching as Toby raised his eyebrows at her.

'I feel like something's changed' he admitted. It had been on his mind for a few weeks. They could deny it but Toby had great instincts. He knew something was different but he couldn't pinpoint it. He knew it had something to do with Indiana.

'Between them, as in...' Andy said, winking at Toby as means of filling in the blanks.

'Maybe. I don't know. You know I don't really care though right' he said as Andy sighed and shook her head slightly. He did care and she knew it. Not a lot but enough to be concerned.

 _Election Day_

Josh looked at his watch as he paced the office. Donna had been gone longer than she thought she would and he was bored. Most of his work had been done for the day and there was nothing left to do but wait.

'Hey, where's Donna? She can't still be out there' Sam asked as he appeared in the doorway.

'She is' Josh said, looking once again at his watch.

'Have you heard from her?' Sam asked.

'Got a text from her about a half hour ago saying she hadn't found anyone yet but she hadn't given up hope' Josh replied as he picked up his pen and twirled it around between his fingers.

'Gotta give it to her, she's persistent' Sam said, watching Josh as he walked over to his desk. He'd seen Josh on Election Day before, this time he was appeared to be more nervous. 'Are you alright? You seem on edge, more than usual' Sam asked.

'It's Election Day' Josh said as he sat down at his desk, staring down as he drummed his fingers on the surface.

'Sure that's all it is?' Sam asked.

Josh looked up to see the concern etched on Sam's face. He put down the pen he had been holding

'I kissed Donna' he said, watching as Sam went from concerned to shocked in three seconds flat.

'Wow. When?' Sam asked, a small smile showing on his face as he sits down in the visitors chair opposite from Josh.

'In Indiana. When we were alone in the hotel room' Josh replied, feeling the weight he'd been carrying around with him leave. It felt good to say the words out loud to someone.

'What does this mean for you and Donna?' Sam asked. He wanted his friends to be happy and if that meant together then Sam would be ecstatic. Over the years he'd pushed Josh a little on the subject but never going too far.

'I don't know' Josh replied, running his fingers through his hair.

Sam saw his friend obviously having a hard time with making a decision. 'Can I offer some advice?'

'Sure' Josh replied.

'Think about why you kissed her in the first place' he said as he got up from the chair.

Josh knew why he'd kissed her that day. He couldn't think of a good enough reason not to.

'You should talk to her though' Sam said as he was about to leave.

'I plan to, later once the election is called and when the craziness of today is over' he said.

'Good. I'm going to get coffee, do you want anything' Sam asked.

'No but get Donna a mocha latte and tell her to keep warm' he said watching Sam smile back at him.

'What?' Josh asked as he stood up to take his wallet out of his pocket.

'You should tell her how you feel' Sam said before walking out of the Josh's office leaving Josh standing alone in his office.


	9. Chapter 9

Josh stared down at the document, words now blurring into one. He couldn't take it all in. It was 30 minutes later and Sam's words going round in his head, hearing his best friend telling him to tell how Donna how he felt. The thing was Josh didn't know how to tell her. He loved her. He knew that, he loved her tenacity and how she just upped and left her old life for a new one. She was courageous even if she didn't realise. He couldn't think of a time where he didn't or wouldn't want her in his life. He had to pluck up he courage and tell her soon. Otherwise he'd become sad, a flash of Toby's face went through his mind and how he was no further forward with Andy even now that she was carrying his children.

As he read the document in front of him for the ninth time his cell rang, smiling at her name on the screen.

'Hey' he said when he picked up.

'Thank you for the coffee, it was definitely needed' she said

'Sam was just in here, he was going to get coffee anyway so I just asked if he would get you one' he said, brushing off the gratitude.

'Still it was nice of you to think of me'

'Found a vote swapper yet?'

'No but there's still time. I have a couple hours'

'Donna, it's cold and the exits are looking ok so you can come back if you want to' Josh replied, thinking of her wrapped in a winter coat in the cold weather.

'Sam had to spit three times and curse, nothing is set in stone in elections. You taught me that. I'm not coming back until someone swaps votes with me' she said down the phone, Josh smiling to himself at the wisdom that he instilled in her.

'Okay' he said, pacing back and forth in his office.

'Are you alright?' She asked, her gut was telling to check in with him.

Josh fell silent, thinking back to his conversation with Sam.

'I told Sam about Indiana' he replied, hearing her take a sudden in take of breath.

'Oh'

'When you get back we'll talk, I think it's overdue' he said

'We will and it is' she said before they said their goodbyes.

Josh sat at his desk, smiling as he looked at his phone before getting up to find something to do.

It's hours later when he sees her again, he spots her walking over toward the communications department just before he gets accosted by some campaign donor who wants to talk to him and he doesn't get the chance to talk to her. Then Sam's face is on every television set in the west wing and that's the new thing he needs to deal with so talking to Donna moves farther down his to do list.

It's 3 AM before he can even begin to think about anything other than politics. He walks past the buffet table, grabs a plate of food as he spies a full bottle of champagne. He tucks it under his arm and walks toward his office.

'Hey' he hears as he looks up to see Amy sitting in his chair.

'Hey. What are you doing here?' Josh asked.

'I need my coat' she replied.

'Ah. I'll get it for you' he said, placing the food and the bottle on the desk as he took her coat off the stand.

'Wanna go get a drink someplace?' Amy asked, dark eyes looking up as Josh held out her coat.

'Everywhere will be closed' he replied, looking for anyway to get it out of this discussion.

'We could take that bottle of champagne and celebrate at my apartment' she said as she stood up, moving a little closer to Josh in the process.

'I'm beat, Amy. I don't think it's a good idea'.

'You sure?' Amy asked, as she perched herself on the edge of the desk watching as Josh took in the sight in front of him. He nodded before she stood up again. 'Suit yourself' she said, as she rolled her eyes at him.

'Walk me to the door?' she asked as she put on her coat.

'Ok' he replied before walking out beside her toward the lobby.

After helping out Jack Donna walked back to her desk, hoping to catch Josh before he left. She'd had this conversation a million ways in her head but she had to now say how she felt out loud. She needed to tell him how she felt, he deserved to know. She'd felt hopeful, after their conversion earlier, that he felt the same way as she did.

She smiled to herself as she walked into the bullpen but as she looked up she saw a flash of red. Then a tired looking Josh walking beside Amy out toward the exit. Donna could feel her heart pounding, her stomach swirling with the thought of them together. Again. This wasn't how this night was meant to go, Donna thought to herself. She ran over to her desk and switched off her computer. She quickly picked up her purse and coat before heading back to the party to hide out for 5 minutes before she could leave knowing she wouldn't bump into Josh and Amy.

As Josh walked back into the lobby he looked around for Donna. He checked his pockets but he couldn't find his cellphone to call her.

'Hey, you catch up with Donna yet?' Sam asked as Josh walked past.

'No. Have you seen her?' Josh asked, trying not to sound too concerned.

'Not since earlier. Call her' Sam suggested.

'I think I left my cell in my office. I'll see you later' Josh replied as he walked back into the bullpen.

He walked around his desk and saw his phone on the desk. He opened it up to call her as he noticed the bottle still sitting there. He'd got it for them to share. He'd wanted to celebrate with her, it was never going to be Amy. Using the speed dial he called Donna, after 7 rings it diverted to voicemail. 'This is Donna Moss, please leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can' he heard the recorded greeting state. 'Hey so I'm just wondering where you are. I didn't get a chance to talk to you before and I wanted to now but I can't find you. Call me back' he said before ending the call. He picked at the cold food on his plate as he alternated between checking his phone and staring at the champagne. All the while wondering where she'd gone.


End file.
